2013 College Basketball Picks: Northeast Conference Tournamant Odds, Free Picks and Predictions – Northeast Conference Tournament Schedule and Tournament Bracket: Many of the smaller conferences tend to be dominated by one or two teams, making the conference tournaments an inevitable collision between the big dogs. That is anything but the case with the Northeast Conference this season. Although Robert Morris took the regular season crown, five teams were within three games of the top spot, including three that were just two games back. In other words, the NEC Tournament is up for grabs and so is the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Here is a closer look at the top contenders in a fairly wide-open field.
2013 Northeast Conference Tournament Odds, Free Picks and Predictions
The Contenders
After winning the conference’s regular season crown, it would be foolish to overlook the Robert Morris Colonials (22-9, 14-4 NEC), especially when they enter the NEC Tournament having won five straight games and 14 of their last 16. The Colonials live and die by the 3-point shot on the offensive end and have been stifling opponents with the NEC’s top-ranked scoring defense. Overall, Robert Morris has five players that have connected on more than 30 3-point attempts this year. The one negative worth pointing out is that leading scorer Karvel Anderson is dealing with a nagging wrist injury.
Armed with a solid defense and one of the best big men in the NEC, the Wagner Seahawks (18-11, 12-6 NEC) should be a player in the conference tournament. The Seahawks aren’t really a high-scoring team, but senior forward Jonathon Williams is averaging 15.2 points on 53.5 percent shooting and is the type of player that can take over a game in the paint. Meanwhile, Wagner’s defense ranked second in the conference in points allowed and first in opposing field goal percentage. The ability to get easy baskets inside while making life difficult on opposing offenses sounds like a recipe for success to me.
They probably have the best inside/outside combo in the conference, and their dynamic duo could propel the Bryant University Bulldogs (19-10, 12-6 NEC) to a conference tournament title. Sophomore guard Dyami Starks leads the team in scoring at 17.7 points per game, and he has already poured in more than 80 3-pointers at a 40-percent clip. Meanwhile junior forward Alex Francis is a nightly double-double threat, averaging 17.1 points on 57.4 percent shooting to go along with 8.7 rebounds per game. Sure, Bryant’s defense can be porous at times, but if Starks and Francis are rolling, the Bulldogs’ offense is tough to stop.
Despite a defense that has been downright awful at times, the defending NEC Tournament champion LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds (17-13, 12-6 NEC) could defend their title. After all, star forward Jamal Olasewere is still around, and the senior is enjoying his best season at the collegiate level. He enters the conference tournament averaging a career-high 19.2 points and career-high 8.4 rebounds per game for a Blackbirds’ offense that leads the NEC and ranks 11th in the country in scoring. If Olasewere is dialed in, LIU Brooklyn can score away most of its defensive deficiencies and outscore any team it plays.
Bottom Line
As the final regular season standings suggest, the NEC has plenty of quality teams. In a tournament when so many teams have a legitimate chance at securing the NEC’s lone bid to the NCAA Tournament, I expect a majority of the games to go down to the wire. All of the top teams have a player that can get a basket in a clutch situation. However, Robert Morris’ go-to scorer has a sore wrist, and LIU Brooklyn and Wagner rely mainly on post players that need help getting the ball. Meanwhile, Bryant happens to have productive scorers on the perimeter and the post, and having two players that can carry the offense on any given night will help the Bulldogs survive what should an exciting NEC Tournament.
Prediction: Bryant University Bulldogs Win the Northeast Conference Tournament
2013 Northeast Conference Tournament Schedule
Quarterfinals, March 6:
No. 8 St. Francis Brooklyn at No. 1 Robert Morris, 7 p.m.
No. 7 Central Connecticuty at No. 2 Wagner, 7 p.m.
No. 6 Quinnipiac at No. 3 LIU-Brooklyn, 7 p.m.
No. 5 Mount St. Mary’s at No. 4 Bryant, 7 p.m.
Semifinals, March 9:
Lowest remaining seed at highest remaining seed, noon or 2:30 p.m.
3rd highest remaining seed at 2nd highest remaining seed, noon or 2:30 p.m.
Both games to be televised on MSG2, FCS, and ESPN3.
Championship, March 12, ESPN2, 7 p.m.
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